The Melting Pot Eyes India For International Growth

Dec 9, 2015

The Melting Pot® Restaurants, Inc., the world’s premier fondue restaurant and a leading polished casual dining franchise, announced today it is actively seeking franchisees to bring its interactive dining experience to India. The Tampa, Fla.-based company plans to enter India for the first time with the initial development of five to 15 restaurants in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Chennai.

The Melting Pot operates more than 125 restaurants across 35 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico,Southeast Asia, and the United Arab Emirates, and has more than 15 locations in development internationally. The concept is known for offering an assortment of flavorful fondue cooking styles and a variety of unique entrees served with signature dipping sauces. The menu features a variety of a la carte selections, highlighting customizable options that invite guests to enjoy one, two, three or more courses as they select any combination of individually-priced cheese fondues, salads, entrees and chocolate fondues.

“The Melting Pot is a proven 40-year American franchise concept unlike any other. Featuring four distinct courses, guests dip menu items into heated fondue pots at the center of each table. The concept provides a very social and interactive dining experience proven to translate well to multiple countries,” said Dan Stone, chief business and people development officer for Front Burner. “We provide our franchisees the necessary training and support to ensure success, as well as expert resources to assist with identifying the best sites for our restaurants. We are ready to do business in India and are seeking qualified candidates to build a strong brand presence throughout the country over the next few years.”

In addition to India, the top fondue franchise is focused on expanding its international footprint in select markets across Brazil,Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico and South Korea. Earlier this year, The Melting Pot announced the opening of its first restaurants in Jakarta, Indonesia and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The company also plans to open its first restaurant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia during the first quarter of 2016.

The Melting Pot was recently ranked No. 1 among 40 casual-dining restaurant chains in Nation’s Restaurant News’ 2015 Consumer Picks report, up from No. 6 out of 38 concepts last year. The Melting Pot ranked first in four out of 10 overall attribute categories, achieving top scores in cleanliness, service, atmosphere and craveability.

The Melting Pot is seeking area developers with restaurant or hospitality experience who can commit to a minimum development agreement of three or more restaurants. Franchisee candidates or groups should have access to a minimum of $3 million USD in capital. At least one of the franchise owners must be fluent in English. Depending on the real estate site selected, franchisees of The Melting Pot in the United States can expect the total investment for one restaurant to be approximately $959,000 to $1,436,000 USD. The initial franchise fee ranges from $45,000 to $60,000 USD per unit depending on the number of units committed and there is a one-time training fee of $50,000 USD. As the brand celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2015, a 40 percent discount will be offered on the initial franchise fee for the first restaurant for all new franchise agreements signed in 2015.